F 195 
.S55 




ADDRESS 



BEFORE THE 



GRADUATING CLASS OF ST. JOHN'S 
COLLEGE 



At the New National Theatre 
Washington, D. C, June 15, IQ06 



LOUIS P. SHOEMAKER 



Printed hy the direction of 
Brother Germanus, President 






•h- r 



Address of Louis P. Shoemaker. 



Young Gentlemen of the Gradl'atixg Class of St. 
John's College: 

Cliristian Brotherhood is synonymous with Christian edu- 
cation ; Christian e(hication is synonymous witli true UK^d- 
ern civihzation, and modern civihzation is synonymous widi 
American constitutional and representative goxernment as 
contradistinguished from the repubhcs. the democracies, 
and the monarchies of the old world. 

Other republican and democratic forms of g-o\-ernment. 
such as the Republic of Rome and the Democracy of Athens. 
as well as those which were not republican in character. 
have attained great supremacy, through the medium of 
which millions of people advanced in education, achieved 
greatness, and accumulated individual, corporate, and na- 
tional wealth ; ha\-e become powerful factors in the militarv 
and naval spheres of life — versed to a pre-eminent degree 
in art, science and literature — yet they have deteriorated, 
lost the advantage thus attained, and some \vd\e actually 
gone into ruin and have been almost forgotten. 

True it is that youth, maturity, and decay are as evident 
and certain in human things as in nature, that the adoles- 
cent period of humanity is but the point at which mankind, 
growing into maturity, must .soon begin to deteriorate; true 
it is we often find exemplified the rule that destruction and 
death are but the final and unerring limitations placed by 
God upon all things animate and inanimate. Nevertheless 
something is constantly teaching us that there exists a factor 
which can be used, which ought to be constantly used and 
cultivated, through which nvjre can be done for humanity 



ern civilization demand that we excel them in their 
peaceful pursuits of life and refrain from imitating them 
in their warlike measures of aggression and destruction? 
Are we not justified in claiming that this is the purpose 
of the teaching of the Christian Brothers? 

Even if America should excel the old world in achieve- 
ment in every respect, yet should fail to attain per- 
petuity, what more, materially, can future generations 
say of us other than what we now say of the nations 
of antiquity? 

Rome sought, but failed, to be the dominant power 
of the world. God forbid that the United States should 
ever become so influenced by power, by wealth, by the 
presence of a great army and navy, as to attempt any 
such absurd effort ! Yet, our going to the Philippines 
may be but the indication of a tendency to do just what 
has led many other great nations into ruin and disaster. 
How far we are justified under our form of government 
in continuing to do what we have been doing in those 
islands is a question we should seriously consider. 
Already there may be indications (and I think there 
are) of the fact that we have serious troubles of our 
own, that the interests of and necessity to promote the 
general welfare of our own country are sufificiently im- 
portant to engage the attention and time of our legis- 
lators, and that national funds are needed at home for 
internal improvements. 

We have heard that Havana was made sanitary, that 
the rivers and harbors of Cuba have been dredged, and 
that sinnlar advantages are being afiforded Manila, but 
we have not as yet, in the whole history of the United 
States, been able to provide an adequate sewerage sys- 
tem for the District of Columbia, so that its people can 
observe sanitary laws and regulations, nor have we been 



able to secure a sufficient number of pubHc Ijuildings 
to ena1)le the United States Government to discontinue 
rented quarters, wliolly unsuited for the transaction of 
governmental business and detrimental to the comfort 
and health of its employees, nor have we been able to 
dredge the Eastern Branch, which for more than a hundred 
years has spread its malarial influence over Washing- 
ton and impaired the health, not only of its citizens, but 
of those engaged in Federal business. 

Sir William Blackstone tells us in his commentaries 
that the principle of migration originated in the sending 
out of colonies to find new habitations when the mother 
country was overcharged with inhabitants ; that it was 
practiced as well by the Phoenicians and Greeks as the 
Germans, Scythians, and other northern people. And, 
so long as it was confined to the stocking and civiliza- 
tion of desert, uninhabited countries, it kept strictly 
within the law of nature. But how far the seizing of 
countries already peopled, and driving out or massa- 
cring the innocent and defenseless natives, merely be- 
cause they differed from the invaders in language, in 
religion, in customs, in government, or in color — how 
far such a conduct was consonant with nature, with 
reason, or with Christianity deserved well to be con- 
sidered l)y those who have rendered their names im- 
mortal by thus cixilizing mankind. 

'Hiat which he said in 1750 of England's treatment of 
the people of India may also be said of us in 1906 as to 
our treatment of the people of the Philippine Islands, not- 
withstanding our form of goNernment and our supposed al- 
legiance to its fundamental principles. When T think of 
the people of the Philippine Islands, I feel that civil and 
religious liberty, as well as selfgovernment, should be 
accorded to them. When I think of the people of the l)is- 



trict of Columbia, I feel tiiat the best and most typical re- 
publican form of government should be fostered under the 
auspices of Congress as an example to the rest of our people, 
rather than one which is un-American in character, spread- 
ing unrepublican influence o^'er our country. 

I can not forget the lessons I have been taught of our 
Constitution, of the fundamental principles of our Govern- 
ment, and it seems to me I can hear the lingering sound of 
the voice of that patriot, Patrick Henry, like the continuing 
tone of the great Bell of Liberty, now in Philadelphia, 
when he said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" which 
expression went broadcast over our country and hastened 
the American Revolution. 

If, however, evils do exist, we should eradicate them. If 
wrongs are being perpetrated, we should patriotically cor- 
rect them, and the Catholic schools of our country can be 
relied upon as potent factors for the accomplishment of 
this result. 

That old State House bell is silent. 
Hushed is now its clamorous tongue, 
But the spirit it awakened 
Still is living, ever going. 

I had the pleasure of hearing our Secretary of War, Mr, 
Taft say in Pittsburg two years ago, while delivering an 
address before the Americus Club, that, in his opinion, the 
United States Government could not have succeeded to the 
extent thus far attained in the Philippine Islands but for 
the influence of the Catholic Church. 

To do this the Catholic Chiuxh had no army or na\'y. It 
was simply the influence of the Catholic clergy of the is- 
lands over the hearts and minds of the people. And so it 
is here, for the Catholic Church now stands, and will con- 
tinue to stand, for liberty of capital and of ]al)or, liberty oi 
ci\-il and religious thouglit and action the very foundation 



(if our Govemmcnt — and this may prevent our i^reat cities 
from going into ruin and decaw as we find to-day Carthage. 
Athens. Trov, and Antioch. It may contimie to give to us 
and our [nxsterity. not only the blessings we enjoy. l)Ut se- 
cure perpetuity of our form of government and the con- 
tinued advancement of our civihzation. 

You. young men, lia\e been echicated to contend for and 
to maintain tlie supremacy of this exalted nation. Ynu are 
expected to go forth into the world with the fundamental 
princii)les of the Constitution of the L'nited States fresh in 
your minds, and the spirit of patriotism implanted in your 
hearts, with the emblem of your country in one hand and 
that of your church in the other. Thus, you will afTord 
protection to your country and your church, and being- 
guided by the Constitution of the 'former and the infallible 
faith of the latter, you can not fail to afford protection to 
yourselves and insure for present and future generations 
civil and religious liberty, prosperity, happiness, and. best 
of all, perpetuity of these great blessings. 

Remember the expression, "My country, right or wrong; 
if right, to be kept right, if wrong, to be i)ut right." Bet- 
ter that Columlms should never have discovered .Vmerica. 
with her fertile valleys, rich mountains, vast and prcxluc- 
tive plains, beautiful rivers and placid lakes, that her com- 
merce, trade, and wealth should never have l)een developed, 
but that she should have remained in the possession of the 
Indians, than that the great, noble work of the white man 
and the results of liis industry and talent should fail to at- 
tain perpetuity. 



>^ ^>v . T* 



r 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




